National Enquirer, Caught in ‘Catch-and-Kill’ Scandal, Sold

February 6, 2023by Michelle Chapman, Associated Press Business Writer
National Enquirer, Caught in ‘Catch-and-Kill’ Scandal, Sold
In this July 12, 2017, file photo, an issue of the National Enquirer featuring President Donald Trump on its cover is displayed on a newsstand in a store in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

The National Enquirer, the scandal-plagued tabloid that engaged in “catch-and-kill” practices to bury stories about Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, has been sold.

VVIP is buying the National Examiner and another tabloid, the Globe, from magazine publisher a360 Media in an all-cash deal, though exact financial terms were not disclosed.

In December 2018 the parent company of publications including the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and In Touch admitted to engaging in a journalistically dubious practice known as “catch-and-kill” in order to help Donald Trump become president.

Federal prosecutors revealed at the time that they had agreed not to prosecute American Media Inc. for secretly assisting Trump’s campaign by paying $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. The company then intentionally suppressed McDougal’s story until after the election.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, also accused the paper of attempting to bribe him in 2019 with embarrassing “below the belt” photos sent to his girlfriend.

American Media sold the National Enquirer and some other publications in April 2019 to James Cohen, former head of the airport newsstand company Hudson News. However, the transaction was never completed.

In August 2020 David Pecker stepped down as CEO of American Media. At the time, American Media Inc. was being taken over by Accelerate360, a logistics firm based in Smyrna, Georgia. Under Pecker, the National Enquirer for years buried potentially embarrassing stories about Trump and other favored celebrities by buying the rights to them and never publishing.

The Federal Election Commission fined a360 Media $187,500 in June 2021 for squashing the McDougal story. The FEC said the publisher’s “payment to Karen McDougal to purchase a limited life story right combined with its decision not to publish the story, in consultation with an agent of Donald J. Trump and for the purpose of influencing the election, constituted a prohibited corporate in-kind contribution.”

VVIP Ventures is a joint venture between digital media and content technologies holding company Vinco Ventures Inc. and ICON Publishing.

A+
a-
  • National Enquirer
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Media

    Fake Images Made to Show Trump With Black Supporters Highlight Concerns Around AI and Elections

    WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people smiling and laughing seem nothing out of the ordinary, but a look closer is telling. Odd lighting and too-perfect details provide clues to the fact they... Read More

    March 1, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Television Journalist Cited for Contempt for Defying Subpoena Over Spy Report

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington, D.C., held veteran journalist Catherine Herridge in contempt of court Thursday for refusing... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington, D.C., held veteran journalist Catherine Herridge in contempt of court Thursday for refusing to disclose her sources for Fox News reports about an FBI investigation of a Chinese American scientist. The judge fined Herridge $800 per day until she... Read More

    Florida Lawmakers Prepare for Gov. DeSantis to Veto Social Media Ban on Children Under 16

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers were bracing for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill banning social media... Read More

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers were bracing for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill banning social media for children under 16 on Friday and finding a way to make him more comfortable with its language before their session ends next week. DeSantis supports... Read More

    Russian Disinformation Is About Immigration. The Real Aim Is to Undercut Ukraine Aid

    WASHINGTON (AP) — For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas' Rio Grande Valley. In recent weeks, Russian... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas' Rio Grande Valley. In recent weeks, Russian state media and online accounts tied to the Kremlin have spread and amplified misleading and incendiary content about U.S. immigration and border security. The campaign seems... Read More

    Humorously Morose Comedian Richard Lewis, Who Recently Starred on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' Dies at 76

    NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76. Lewis, who revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023, died... Read More

    It's an Election Year, and Biden's Team Is Signaling More Aggressive Posture Toward the Press

    NEW YORK (AP) — Occupants of the White House have grumbled over news coverage practically since the place was built.... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Occupants of the White House have grumbled over news coverage practically since the place was built. Now it's Joe Biden's turn: With a reelection campaign underway, there are signs that those behind the president are starting to more aggressively and publicly challenge... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top